Running Across Scotland, Coast to Coast

Running Across Scotland, Coast to Coast

In order to explore the history of Scotland's industrial heartlands, and see parts of the country I have too often driven past I decided to set myself a challenge. As the year 2020 has been declared the "Year of Coasts and Water" by the Scottish tourist board I have taken it upon myself to run from the west coast at Largs in Ayrshie, to St Andrews in Fife.

Along the way I will be finding out about the local history as I go, from Viking battles in Largs, and the industrial revolution around Paisley. The Antonine Wall built across Scotland by the Romans, and the canal built along the same route 1700 years later. The coal mining of Fife, and the often overlooked witch trials that happened here. Finishing with the shock-waves of the Reformation in St Andrews that thrust John Knox into the spotlight.

I ran it in sections of between 8 and 18 miles, and will describe each stage in detail, including any sites of interest I came across along the way. All these sites could easily be walked, run or cycled, and on the whole the start and end points of each stage were reached by me on public transport from Glasgow, where I live. I have tried where possible to stay off roads, and used cycle paths and walking routes whenever possible.

West - Glasgow to Largs

• 1. Glasgow to Johnstone - from Maryhill, to Renfrew, Paisley, Elderslie and then Johnstone

• 2. Johnstone to Greenock - from Johnstone to Linwood, Bridge of Weir, Kilmacolm, Port Glasgow and on to Greenock

• 3. Greenock to Wemyss Bay - from Greenock to Gourock, then Inverkip to Weymss Bay

• 4. Wemyss Bay to Largs - finally completed 18 months later

• 5. And a lap of Cumbrae - finished it off with a 10 mile circuit of Cumbrae

Central - Glasgow to Culross

• 1. Glasgow to Kirkintilloch - from Maryhill in Glasgow, past Possil Marsh and Bishopbriggs to Kirkintilloch

• 2. Kirkintilloch to Falkirk - from Kirkintilloch past the Roman ruins at Twechar, to Bonnybridge and finishing at the Falkirk Wheel

• 3. Falkirk to Culross - From Falkirk, out past the Kelpies towards Grangemouth, Skinflats, Kincardine and Tulliallan before reaching Culross

East - Culross to St Andrews, The Fife Pilgrim Way

• 1A. Culross to Dunfermline - from Culross to Torryburn, Cairneyhill and onto Dunfermline

• 1B. North Queensferry to Dunfermline - North Queensferry to Inverkeithing, Rosyth and then Dunfermline

• 2. Dunfermline to Lochore - from Kingseat, passing Hill of Beith, past the lost village of Lassodie to Kelty and Lochore

• 3. Lochore to Markinch - Lochgelly to Lochore, then through Kinglassie and along the River Leven to Leslie, Glenrothes and Markinch

• 4. Markinch to Ceres - Markinch via Windygates and Kennoway and then on past Clatto Reservoir to Ceres

• 5. Ceres to St Andrews - Ceres, Craigtoun and then to St Andrews on the coast